Coming To You From Silverstone 🏎️🏁

Good morning. Well, I have to apologize…

I have been away for far too long. I have been sort of on a break from F1, writing, and many other things in my life. This is for several reasons that I don’t need to get into in detail but suffice to say, I have been a bit overwhelmed with all of my projects so I had to prioritize.

This is sad because so many cool things have been happening in racing news.

However, I am back and ready to keep you guys abreast of all of the fun happenings in the world of motorsport after a much needed break. Moving forward my plan is to only bring you newsletters when I feel like they are going to add you value. This could be weekly, bi-weekly, or even every other week. I am not in the business of shoving needed content down your throat (subscribe to the Racing Recap YouTube channel btw 😉 )

In my time away I’ve been thinking about how to add some additional content into this community. Some initial thoughts involve bringing in other race series (Indycar, WEC, and NLS). I have also thought about integrating more racing focused content that helps inform fans who are new to the sports. Whatever I end up adding, I will make sure to take in feedback and kill additions you guys hate. But no changes yet!

So, without further delay, I bring you the return of the Recap Newsletter!

-Jake Williamson

🌎 Is Lando Up for A Fight With Verstappen?

Lando Norris isn’t pulling any punches ahead of the new season. After a few stumbles in 2024, he’s making it crystal clear that the best way to keep Max Verstappen’s aggressive streak in check is by taking an early championship lead.

In a chat with Sky Sports, Norris hinted that staying one step ahead in the points might make Verstappen think twice before lunging into corners with his trademark gusto. In his own words Lando says he needs to have “his elbows out” to play with Max. He admits to his mistakes in 2024 and hints that he wasn’t ready to fight Max for the championship. Now, he says he is ready.

Still, Norris isn’t counting on any freebies. Verstappen’s never been the type to back off just because someone’s leading the standings. But Lando’s done the math: if you start the race with a buffer, it forces your rival to weigh the risks a little more carefully.

Of course, fans can rest assured that Norris’s playful sense of humor remains firmly intact. Between the goofy streaming sessions and jokey post-race interviews, he hasn’t lost his easygoing charm. But underneath that grin, there’s a driver who knows exactly what he needs to do: get ahead early and stay there.

However, Lando’s counterpart at McLaren, Oscar Piastri, says he is also ready to fight for a 2025 title. According to the team, the “Papaya Rules” have been reset and everyone is starting from square one. This means the team may be going back to their “two number one drivers” tactic. They will see who has the greatest potential for the title and prioritize from there.

With the MCL39 shaping up to be another world contending car, it seems Lando will be fighting both Verstappen and his own teammate for the shot at glory in 2025.

🚀Headline Sprint

F1-75 Live Event: On February 18, Formula 1 will be taking to the O2 arena with all ten teams to unveil the cars for the 2025 season in a first-of-its-kind live event. This is said to be taking place for the purpose of celebrating the sport’s 75th anniversary. It feels, however, that this is another way to capitalize on the rapidly growing success of the sport by selling tickets to exhibitions outside of track events. Either way, the event should be spectacular and bring every team reveal under one roof, so fans don’t have to scrape the internet for grainy live streams of the individual unveiling. Furthermore, the ticket prices aren’t outrageous, so it doesn’t feel like a gouging.

Ford and Red Bull Counting The Days: We are 46 weeks away from seeing the partnership between Red Bull and Ford Performance come to life on the F1 track for the first time. Red Bull entered the sport of F1 21 years ago and has always been on the back foot when it comes to the depth of knowledge and experience. Teams like Mercedes and Ferrari started as car manufacturers first and continue to produce the best cars in the world, so their innate knowledge of production and technology gives them an advantage. This partnership with Ford, however, unlocks that deep “know-how” from a manufacturing perspective. Christian Horner admits there is still a mountain to climb technologically but he is confident this will be a powerhouse partnership. One of the biggest hurdles for the group, for example, is the requirement to run full synthetic fuels. These fuels are more energy dense which means you can run less fuel to go the same distance. This, according to Horner, will be a key differentiator from 2026 onwards.

🛞 Doohan or Colapinto?

Jack Doohan is under pressure at Alpine already.

The lovable Australian driver is on the starting lineup for Alpine’s 2025 season alongside Pierre Gasly but is not guaranteed a spot for the entire season.

Alpine’s Executive Director, Flavio Briatore, had this much to say, “If there’s a driver who isn’t making progress, who isn’t bringing me results, I change him. You can’t be emotional in F1.”

Flavio is right, albeit a bit blunt. No longer, can a team afford to develop a driver when you are fighting for constructor championship positions. Especially a team like Alpine who has a consortium of investors and has always been under threat of a sale. The pressure is on to perform. No to mention, Franco Colapinto, who exploded onto the scene after replacing Logan Sargeant at Williams mid-season became the most eligible bachelor on the grid after the Doohan announcement.

In a shock 2024 twist, Franco was left without a seat and therefore picked up as a reservist for Alpine. The fan theory for this move is that Doohan is already underperforming in tests so Alpine is prepping Colapinto for another replacement.

James Vowles, team boss at Williams, has said that he wanted Colapinto to race in 25’ and 26’ so he prefers to see him drive for Alpine before stealing him back for Williams.

Will Jack stand the unnecessary pressure put on him?

Watch Me Race 🎥

If you like Formula 1, then you probably like racing in general or even cars. If you don’t like these things then you can move along the newsletter, but please get a hobby outside of F1 ;).

If you do like motorsports in general or car content, then you will most likely enjoy getting to follow me along my racing journey. I have hired a full time team to produce car and racing content on our new YouTube channel. The aim is to highlight the community and machines that make the automotive world tick. For now, we focus on me preparing for my 2025 racing endeavors as well as some fun “one-off” videos, but ultimately we will be expanding this channel into a multi character universe.

Join us as we navigate the world of racing and introduce friends along the way.

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🏎 Is FIA Taking Sh*t Too Far?

"any words, deeds or writings that have caused moral injury or loss to the FIA, its bodies, its members or its executive officers, and more generally on the interest of motor sport and on the values defended by the FIA."

This is the latest salvo against “misconduct” from the FIA in their revision of Article 12 of their sporting code.

That’s right the FIA are still stuck on the swearing thing. It’s, frankly, starting to feel like a bit of a witch hunt against drivers and we don’t really understand the reasoning for being so focused on this subject.

Formula 1 has always been a showcase of speed, glamour, and raw emotion. From the throaty roar of turbocharged engines to the firework-like sparks flying off the tarmac, there’s never been a dull moment. Lately, however, the FIA—the sport’s governing body—has tried to muzzle the colorful language that often crackles over team radios and press interviews. We started seeing this crackdown during the 2024 season and this whole mess came to a head after the GP in Singapore when Verstappen let the “F-word” fly during a press conference. An infraction for which he received the rather draconian punishment of “community service.” In the FIA’s defense, it’s all about presenting a more “family-friendly” image to a growing global fan base. But as anyone who’s watched a tense final lap or a bungled pit stop can attest, these drivers are hardly reading bedtime stories out there—they’re fighting for every inch of asphalt.

Let’s face it: in a high-pressure environment where precision is everything and decisions are made in milliseconds, a few choice words are bound to slip. Think back to memorable moments like Kimi Räikkönen famously barking “Leave me alone, I know what I’m doing!” or the sometimes comically expletive-filled rants of Yuki Tsunoda. These blunt outbursts are part of what makes F1 so captivating.

In the recent change to the sporting code, fines for “misconduct” were raised to a range between 40,000 and 120,000 euros. Furthermore, the new text leaves some wiggle room for stewards to punish criticism of the FIA in general. From what we can tell, the F1 governing body wants to be able to punish public criticism of the FIA, F1, or their stewards. This is taking this over a line in many driver’s opinions.

Interestingly, F1 isn’t the only sport where strong language can incur penalties. Take American Football as an example: the NFL routinely hands out fines for unsportsmanlike conduct, which can include verbal outbursts or “taunting.” In the 2021 season alone, players faced fines of up to $10,300 for first offenses and steeper fees for repeated violations. Compare that to a potential F1 penalty, which could impose grid drops or even time penalties—far more damaging than a financial slap on the wrist. The difference is staggering: NFL players might lose a chunk of their paycheck, but F1 drivers risk losing valuable positions on the grid, and thus crucial championship points.

The question is whether the FIA’s approach is truly about family values or if it’s just a quest for tighter control. Ironically, if the FIA keeps trying to sanitize every emotional eruption, they might risk diluting the very spectacle that has millions tuning in each weekend.

💨 Hot Laps

Williams 2025 package unveiled at a test in Silverstone - if you really want to nerd out on car technical specifications.

Schumacher blackmailers convicted to prison time.

Piastri is gunning for the 2025 world title - what does this mean for Papaya rules?

Bernie is selling his F1 car collection so his wife doesn’t have to when he passes.

🛞Marbles

Random links from the authors not always car related

✅Give & Play: Answer vocab questions correctly and this program donates donates rice to the UN.

✅Debate: Variety staffers set out to find the 100 greatest TV performances of the 21st century. Do you agree with number 1?

✅Food: Bored of the normal dinner outing? Try one of 2025’s top restaurants.

📖Answer

Answer to the puzzle or brain game before

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